It seems Coco Gauff‘s setbacks on the court this season are returning to haunt her. And this time, her No.1 position is on stake against a champion player who made perhaps the biggest comeback this season at Wimbledon. Six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek. But wait. Now you must be wondering: Aryna Sabalenka is currently the No.1 player in the world so what gives? Well, this isn’t your typical WTA rankings but a another version of it. While the two-time major champion was poised to finish the season on top, Swiatek is now looming over her head with a negligible difference in the UTR.

The UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) rankings list just got updated this week for the top 10 women’s singles players. According to the UTR Rating system (a global standard for tennis performance), Gauff is still on top. However, her lead has become so thin that she can lose her throne at any moment. All thanks to Swiatek’s resurgence in 2025. As of this article, Gauff is No.1 with 12.95 rating points but here comes the twist. Swiatek – who is on the second position – has reached to 12.93 rating points. Which means the difference is of just 0.02 points between them. Gauff’s fourth round exit in New York may have weakened her position. Compared to her, Swiatek was able to reach the quarters at the Flushing Meadows.

Aryna Sabalenka, who is on the top spot in WTA rankings is placed third on the UTR rankings list. The four-time slam winner is having 12.84 rating points in comparison to the American and the Pole. Undoubtedly, the real competition is between Gauff and Swiatek right now. So much so, that any outcome in their next few matches this week can flip the script. In short, it all depends on who performs better in their respective campaigns.

For those still confused on what UTR really means for tennis rankings, here is a brief description. Per the official information, it is a rating system from 1.0 to 16.50 that represents a player’s current skill level. It is actually based on their past 30 results. It includes matches played within the last year only and is calculated by the result of those matches, the opponent’s rating, the percentage of games won, and it focuses on recent encounters more than older clashes.

Now here comes the most interesting part regarding the tussle for No.1 spot in UTR’s list. Gauff and Swiatek are actually competing at the same event this week. Which means?

Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff may lock horns in the final at the China Open

Yes. That’s the ultimate scenario fans can witness in Beijing. At the ongoing WTA 1000 event, both Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are currently playing for the winner’s trophy. Speaking of their respective campaigns, Gauff beat Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova in the R64 on Friday to advance into the next round. On the other hand, Swiatek routed China’s Yuan Yue in straight sets (6-0, 6-3) in the R64 on Saturday.

Gauff will next go against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez while the Pole will take on Colombia’s Camila Osorio. Should the two clear their hurdles in the long run, they will eventually meet in the China Open final. Speaking of event history, Gauff has been very impressive in Beijing in the past. In 2023, she succeeded in reaching the semis but last year she won the title. She defeated Karolina Muchova in the summit clash.

When it comes to the World No.2 and six-time slam champion, she has played only once at the China Open. And guess what? In her only campaign, two years ago, Swiatek won the trophy after besting Liudmila Samsonova.

The momentum is on Swiatek’s side as of now. Since July, she has mostly won all the tournaments she has played in. The Pole clinched the Wimbledon trophy, followed by the Cincinnati crown and then the Korea Open title this month. However, Gauff is yet to win a single trophy since her Roland Garros triumph back in June.

Should they meet in the Beijing final, it will be intriguing to witness who comes out on top in the UTR rankings as well. Do you think Swiatek can eventually dethrone Gauff? Let us know in the comments below.